Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the existing services that are available for second level education for children with Asperger's on Dublin's northside; her plans for the further development of this service; the resources and supports available at a school (details supplied); and the potential for further development at this school. [12579/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them to cater for pupils with special educational needs including pupils with Asperger's syndrome. The supports in question include remedial and resource teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment.

The precise model of provision made available will depend on the assessed needs of the pupils involved. Some students are capable of attending ordinary classes on an integrated basis with resource teacher and-or special needs assistant support. In other cases, placement in special dedicated classes or units attached to the school may be the more appropriate response. Such special classes operate at significantly reduced pupil teacher ratios.

My Department also supports arrangements whereby students attached to these special classes are facilitated in attending ordinary subject classes on an integrated basis wherever possible. In the case of the school in question, my Department has allocated one whole-time equivalent teaching post and two special needs assistant posts to cater for the special educational needs of pupils enrolled in the school's unit for pupils with Asperger's syndrome.

With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over key functions from my Department in relation to special educational provision. The NCSE was formally established as an independent statutory body on 1 October 2005 under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2005. The council acts under the broad policy direction of my Department but has the resources and the remit to play the leading role in the delivery of education services to children with disabilities or special needs.

The NCSE co-ordinates with the health services, schools and other relevant bodies regarding the provision of education and related support services to children with disabilities or special needs. The responsibilities of the NCSE include deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level, deciding on applications for special needs assistant, SNA, hours and processing applications for school placement in respect of children with disabilities with special education needs.

Under the new arrangements, the council, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, will process the relevant application for resources and inform the school of the outcome. It is important to note that in the case of decisions on additional teaching and SNA support, the SENO will outline the process to the school and parents, where appropriate, and will at the end of the process outline the basis on which the decision was made.

In addition, my Department's teacher education section has developed a strategy designed to meet the continuing professional development needs of personnel working with children with special educational needs. This involves a major expansion of the range of post graduate professional training programmes available to teachers in the special needs area and the ongoing development of the special education support service, SESS, to support schools staff locally.

My Department will continue to ensure that the necessary resources are made available for the education of children with special needs. I am confident that the advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs receive the support they require, when and where they require it.